2010 Dakar -Good News!

[Waihou Thumper]

+1000

They rode proper Adventure bikes, not girlyweight enduro machines that may or may not grenade underneath you.

I still admire those guys riding the Teneres, TTs, Elefants....the PD's and the DRBig even...
All before the days of GPS. Just wind a headscarf around your head, use a map and rely on the locals to point you in the right direction...
Real adventurers.....

Girlyweight enduro machines? That's a little unfair though...

[Waihou Thumper]

I can't wait for the 450's to trickle down to us plebs already got the GasGas available just waiting for one of the big 5 to come up with the goods too!

That Baja design Gasgas is a tad ugly, but I reckon it will do the trick!
I still think Husaberg is up to the play, looking at the Aussie Safari. They seem to have all of the right stuff....

[Eddieb]

Girlyweight enduro machines? That's a little unfair though...

120kg? thats not a real bike

Anything less than the weight of a PD is a girlyweight bike, that includes DR's and KLR's

[Waihou Thumper]

120kg? thats not a real bike

Anything less than the weight of a PD is a girlyweight bike, that includes DR's and KLR's

the LC4 would easily weigh 170kg plus....remember these guys are also carrying 10 litres of water and 40 litres of fuel...
Remember the guy who did the Dakar last year on the Honda Monkey? Now that was a sexy girlyweight bike......If he got stuck, he lifted it and carried it out of trouble! I still don't know if he finished...

[Brian d marge]

the LC4 would easily weigh 170kg plus....remember these guys are also carrying 10 litres of water and 40 litres of fuel...
Remember the guy who did the Dakar last year on the Honda Monkey? Now that was a sexy girlyweight bike......If he got stuck, he lifted it and carried it out of trouble! I still don't know if he finished...

Dont think he did , its wasn't a monkey bike i think but a bike using that engine ,,,it failed

but he had a huge following

Stephen

[topo]

That Baja design Gasgas is a tad ugly, but I reckon it will do the trick!
I still think Husaberg is up to the play, looking at the Aussie Safari. They seem to have all of the right stuff....

Watching the Husaberg's at this years safari i can tell you that they look,go and sound great but the kit they were wearing was all prototype/one off's. The tanks were prototypes from safari fuel tanks and should be available to the public late january (waiting for Gary to return from Dakar?), the rear tank also fits the new KTM-EXC's as on the CPW safari bikes.

I spoke with a few of the Husaberg team while there and asked about any chance of and adv version of the 570 in the pipline, they hadn't heard anything so i wouldn't hold you breath.

[Waihou Thumper]

Dont think he did , its wasn't a monkey bike i think but a bike using that engine ,,,it failed

but he had a huge following

Stephen

Ivo Kastan : The smallest motorcycle on the Dakar

This guy has experience…Ivo Kastan sets of this year on the quest of his 9th Dakar. But for this rally regular, the 2009 edition will have a particular savour. Because Ivo isn’t going to South America to just put in a good result, but rather create an exploit:”to become the first rider to finish the Dakar on a 125cc motorcycle.” In order to ride to the finish in these conditions, on “the smallest motorcycle on the Dakar”, the Czech will be able to rely on his solid experience.

In eight attempts, he has finished five times, taking a gratifying 27th place result on his second Dakar in 1997. In 1998, 2000 and 2004, Ivo was forced to retire. Triumph, Honda and Suzuki, none of these bikes brought any good fortune. Bad luck also struck in 2002 and 2003 when, with an injured knee, he followed the Dakar…in a press vehicle.

This year, for his 9th participation, he wants to continue on without any sentiment of lassitude: “I will participate as long as my body can stand it.” Above all else, he is impatient to return the atmosphere in the bivouac he likes so much. “It is a fantastic moment, which is unlike anything else this, which is the moment I prefer the most!” And each night his wife, a journalist who will follow the Dakar in a press vehicle, will be waiting for him at the bivouac.


[YOUTUBE]xApslV02Nz8[/YOUTUBE]

[cooneyr]

Sorry....After watching countless Dakar footage from the years right through to the latest and 'so called greatest' I do find the early ones more of a feat in navigating skill and pure bike skills, yes...
The latest Dakar, from 2000 onwards does seem to be a bit of a who has the money, can buy the driver , rider etc...
Reminds me of the Americas cup in some ways....Yes?
'Bunch of pussies' nope.....I still think it is a hard ride, no matter what machine you are on. In 2002 the LC8 ran rings around the field, but as you know, imagine handling that beast for 17 days or so...?
I am sure you can appreciate how the LC8 handles at the best of time, let alone making it over those dunes and finishing even!
I stand to be corrected, but whatever is under the saddle boys, they aren't pussies...at any stretch of the imagination....
1000km days, no.....not that much....

My comments were a bit tongue in cheek. It will be a damn hard ride no matter how you look at it but like you say it was originally a navigational/physical endurance/mental endurance challenge whereas if they use GPS or other nav aids and have light weight high performance bikes you might as well just consider it a really long ISDE. I get the impression just completing each day within the time limits , then getting enough sleep and food was a massive feat. If the days are shortened then that element is lost. It seems that mechanical issues are the major problem now not the humans capacity to complete the event.

I agree to an extent, problem is,
(200kg bike@200km/h)x(off piste+navigation) = one free seat next to the "maker" of your choice...

Your not wrong!

Cheers R

[warewolf]

Watching the Husaberg's at this years safari i can tell you that they look,go and sound great but the kit they were wearing was all prototype/one off's.

This is to be expected. Husaberg is effectively KTM's test mule - by their own admission. I would not expect anything to become production directly from Husaberg, but rather via KTM as well-proven.

If I can qualify that; "normal" stuff will filter through via KTM. Radical stuff, eg the 'Berg's new engine layout, will be released as a 'Berg so if it bombs, it won't impact ( ) on KTM's reputation.

[Brian d marge]

Ivo Kastan : The smallest motorcycle on the Dakar

This guy has experience…Ivo Kastan sets of this year on the quest of his 9th Dakar. But for this rally regular, the 2009 edition will have a particular savour. Because Ivo isn’t going to South America to just put in a good result, but rather create an exploit:”to become the first rider to finish the Dakar on a 125cc motorcycle.” In order to ride to the finish in these conditions, on “the smallest motorcycle on the Dakar”, the Czech will be able to rely on his solid experience.

In eight attempts, he has finished five times, taking a gratifying 27th place result on his second Dakar in 1997. In 1998, 2000 and 2004, Ivo was forced to retire. Triumph, Honda and Suzuki, none of these bikes brought any good fortune. Bad luck also struck in 2002 and 2003 when, with an injured knee, he followed the Dakar…in a press vehicle.

This year, for his 9th participation, he wants to continue on without any sentiment of lassitude: “I will participate as long as my body can stand it.” Above all else, he is impatient to return the atmosphere in the bivouac he likes so much. “It is a fantastic moment, which is unlike anything else this, which is the moment I prefer the most!” And each night his wife, a journalist who will follow the Dakar in a press vehicle, will be waiting for him at the bivouac.


[YOUTUBE]xApslV02Nz8[/YOUTUBE]

ahh so it was a monkey bike I thought it was a crm or something like that ,,, Top effort that man

Did he finish ?

Stephen

[Waihou Thumper]

ahh so it was a monkey bike I thought it was a crm or something like that ,,, Top effort that man



Did he finish ?



Stephen

Blown Head Gasket...

[Woodman]

I agree to an extent, problem is,
(200kg bike@200km/h)x(off piste+navigation) = one free seat next to the "maker" of your choice

I can't wait for the 450's to trickle down to us plebs already got the GasGas available just waiting for one of the big 5 to come up with the goods too!

yea but a formula will evolve, eg if a huge bike crashes or is too hard to ride quick it will not win therefore a redesign will happen. it would be interesting to see what would evolve into a fast winning unit given enough time.

[Waihou Thumper]

I found a photo from the Dakar 2009. This is the bike doing well before the blown head gasket!

[Padmei]

Thats one sophisticated monkey bike. Makes a lot of sense... in a kind of abstract way...

[CrazyFrog]

One week to go until launch ........

The rider profiles have been updated, watch #124 Paul Cummins, riding a WR450FX and proudly saying he's a Kiwi, looking forward to "the adventure" of it all. Go hard!

Keen to see how the 450 Aprilia, BMW and Sherco bikes go this year, they've got a couple of top names riding them, so should perform well if the engines hold out.